RIDING INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS
JASON AND HIS NEPHEW REUBEN COMPETED AT MOUNT ISA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS RODEO CHAMPIONSHIPS
His heart racing, Jason Craigie tightens his grip on the rope before him, taking a deep breath he waits in the chutes of Mount Isa’s Buchanan Park. The cheers of the crowd erupt as the horn sounds, signalling the start of his ride, and the brawny bronco beneath him begins to buck and kick.
With more than two decades of rodeo experience behind him, Jason jumped at the chance to be part of the first Mount Isa Mines Indigenous Rodeo Championships.
Riding alongside around 85 cowboys and cowgirls in the red-dirt arena, Jason was stoked to take out first place in the bareback title. He travelled from his home in Darwin, NT to the Queensland outback for the inaugural event.
“For one of the biggest rodeos in Australia to hold an Indigenous championship, it was exciting … we’ve never had an event like that,” says Jason, 33.
Jason fell in love with rodeo as a child, watching on as his father and siblings competed across the country.
Jumping into the saddle at the tender age of 5, he
hasn’t looked back since.
The passion and talent for riding runs in the family, with Jason’s nephew Reuben following in his uncle’s cowboy boot-steps. The 8-year-old came out victorious in the event’s poddy ride, beating out a slew of talented youngsters for the trophy.
“If you’ve just started and you get on a bull or a bronc, for a first-timer it can be
‘IT’S HARD TO DESCRIBE. IT’S LIKE YOU’VE WON A MILLION DOLLARS’
frightening. I remember shaking,” Jason reveals. “Then the adrenaline kicks in, the crowd is cheering and you don’t know what’s going to happen.
“The nerves just take over and there’s not a lot that goes through your mind. You just want to get in there, buck it out and get it done.
“It’s hard to describe. When you’ve had a good ride, it’s like you’ve won a million dollars,” says Jason.
Suffering falls, fractures and “a lot of concussions”, Jason admits the sport takes a huge amount of physical and mental strength to be successful.
“[Rodeo] takes a lot, like you’ve got to be fit and mentally well,” he says.
But when you fall – and you will fall – it’s all about getting back on the horse.
“You’ve got to have a good attitude … if you’re not in the right headspace and your mind is elsewhere and not on the ride, it can be dangerous.”
With the countdown on to next year’s event, Jason would love to see more Indigenous involvement.
“I would have liked to see more competitors,” Jason says, keen to share advice and tips with his community.
“If you’re gonna get into rodeo and need a hand or something I could give you some help, tips or advice. I’ve always encouraged [fellas] to be a part of it.”
Patrick Cooke, chief executive of the Mona Aboriginal Corporation, who coordinated the event, told the ABC that the Indigenous rodeo fostered connection and representation in the community.
“From our perspective, this brings our community together,” he says.
“Mona runs on-country programs for disengaged youth and this Indigenous rodeo shows them a different industry and a different way of life that is available to them.
“It showcases Indigenous stockmen and women who were once the backbone of this industry.”